Region funds NEEA’s 2015-2019 Strategic and Business Plans

Portland, Ore. – January 29, 2015 – Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA), which works on behalf of more than 140 Northwest utilities and energy efficiency organizations and 13 million energy consumers, announced it secured funding at a total of $168.6 million for its next five-year business cycle.

“NEEA plays a critical role in accelerating energy efficiency practices, products and services throughout the region,” said Greg Delwiche, NEEA Board Chair and Deputy Administrator at Bonneville Power Administration. “On behalf of NEEA and its Board of Directors, we are thrilled to maintain our pledge to mobilize the Northwest to become increasingly energy efficient for a sustainable future.”

Beginning in January, NEEA will implement its 2015-2019 Strategic and Business Plans. NEEA’s Strategic Plan outlines the organization’s strategic goals for the next five years. The first is to fill the energy efficiency pipeline with new products, services, practices and approaches. The second is to create market conditions to accelerate and sustain the market adoption of emerging energy efficiency products, services and practices. These goals constitute the foundation for NEEA’s electric market transformation work across Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.

NEEA’s Business Plan defines how it will deliver unique value to the region, focusing its endeavors across four strategic markets: consumer products; residential new construction; commercial new construction and commercial lighting. NEEA will continue to provide regional data services and building stock assessments, and scan the market for and accelerate the development of new, emerging energy efficiency technologies. NEEA will also maintain its commitment to increasing codes and standards stringency to spur sustained, long-term market transformation without continued investment.

The funding organizations forming the alliance for 2015-2019 include Avista Utilities, Bonneville Power Administration, Chelan County Public Utility District, Clark Public Utilities, Cowlitz Public Utility District, Energy Trust of Oregon, Idaho Power, NorthWestern Energy, Pacific Power, Puget Sound Energy, Seattle City Light, Snohomish County Public Utilities, and Tacoma Power. Grant County Public Utility District is also rejoining the alliance in 2015.

NEEA estimates that the activities within the 2015-2019 Business Plan will eventually result in total regional energy savings of at least 145 average megawatts by 2019.

“Energy efficiency is the Northwest’s least-cost energy resource,” said Susan E. Stratton, NEEA’s executive director. “Northwest utilities and NEEA will continue to transform this market cost-effectively and efficiently. We reflect on our past achievements with a great sense of pride, and enthusiastically embrace the importance of accelerating regional energy efficiency over NEEA’s next five years.”

NEEA's 2015-2019 Strategic and Business Plans are available online at neea.org.

About the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance

The Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) is an alliance of more than 140 Northwest utilities and energy efficiency organizations working on behalf of more than 13 million energy consumers. NEEA leverages its strong regional partnerships to effect market transformation by accelerating the adoption of energy-efficient products, services and practices. Since 1997, NEEA and its partners – including AvistaUtilities, Bonneville Power Administration, Chelan County PUD, Clark Public Utilities, Cowlitz PUD, Energy Trust of Oregon, Grant PUD, Idaho Power, NorthWestern Energy, Pacific Power, Puget Sound Energy, Seattle City Light, Snohomish County Public Utilities, and Tacoma Power – have saved enough energy to power more than 700,000 homes each year. Energy efficiency can offset most of our new demand for energy, saving money and keeping the Northwest a healthy and vibrant place to live. www.neea.org